Today's daily report on the Obama administration features the President's visit to Japan, the last stop on his Asia trip to promote American exports, a major focus of economic recovery efforts. We'll begin with his address to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Yokohama.
The President will be traveling again next week to Lisbon for meetings with NATO, the European Union and Russia.
And we'll finish with the President's weekly address. He talks about his trip to Asia and how opening new markets abroad will help create American jobs. The President also calls on Congress to "put some skin in the game" of reforming the budget by taking up the issue of earmarks.
The President went from the G20 in Seoul to a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Yokohama, Japan. His remarks to business leaders follow.
From apecsec:
.... U.S. President Barack Obama .... [spoke] to regional business leaders in the Japanese port city of Yokohama where he is attending a weekend summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), whose 21 members make up the world's fastest growing economic region.
"One of the important lessons the economic crisis taught us is the limits of depending primarily on American consumers and Asian exports to drive economic growth," Obama said in a speech to a business leaders' meeting, being held alongside the APEC summit in Yokohama.
"Going forward, no nation should assume that their path to prosperity is simply paved with exports to America," he said on the final leg of a 10-day tour that has also taken him to India, Indonesia and South Korea.
http://www.moneycontrol.com/...
The President emphasized the leadership role of the United States at the Seoul summit and the progress he had made in his promotion of American exports to Asia.
From NPR: .... "America is leading again in Asia," Obama told a gathering of chief executives at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, stressing anew his goal of doubling U.S. exports over the next five years. "For America, this is a jobs strategy," the president said. "In this region, the United States sees a huge opportunity to increase our exports in some of the fastest-growing markets in the world."....
In his speech to the CEOs, Obama chose to focus on progress he made on this 10-day Asia tour, his longest overseas trip since becoming president.....
But he said more needs to be done.
"The United States is looking to expand trade and commerce throughout the Asia-Pacific," he said. "Even though our exports to this region have risen by more than 60 percent over the last five years, our overall share of trade in the region has declined in favor of our competitors."
"We want to change that," the president said. "We don't want to lose the opportunity to sell our goods in services in fast-growing markets."....
Obama pointed to a consensus by 20 powerhouse and emerging economies on plans for a balanced economy, with the makings of a system to track and prevent unhealthy trade deficits and surpluses, an initiative that lacks enforcement.
Contrary to many news reports, the United States played an influential role at the Seoul summit.
"People are eager to work with America, eager to engage with America," he said. Obama said the meetings strengthened relationships with presidents and prime ministers in ways not apparent from superficial photo ops served up at such gatherings.
"It's not just a function of personal charm," the president said. "It's a function of countries' interests and seeing if we can work through to align them."....
He poked fun at one reporter who asked him what advice, complaint or concern he heard at the meetings about his handling of the economy. "What about compliments?" Obama asked. "You didn't put that in the list."
More seriously, he said the reason the United States attracted dissent was because it was pushing for tough, balanced economic changes that made other nations worry about losing ground.
"That resistance is natural," he said. "It arises out of the fact that the U.S. is showing leadership."
The mission of creating jobs for Americans was at the heart of Obama's trip to Asia. Job growth has been modest at best after a crippling recession in which millions of jobs were lost. The unemployment rate has been at 9.5 percent or higher for the last 15 months.
Obama refused to say whether it would still be in that range when he runs for re-election in 2012, but he pushed back when asked if people are going to be seeing noticeable job growth in his entire four-year term.
"We've grown the economy by a million jobs over the last year," Obama said. "So that's pretty noticeable. I think those million people who've been hired notice those paychecks."
http://www.npr.org/...
The President emphasized the degree of consensus that had been achieved in Seoul and the continuing importance of the United States in Asia.
.... "What is remarkable about the outcome [of the G20 summit] — the extraordinary thing is the degree of consensus that has been established that was on display in Seoul, where you had an agreement on the balanced growth framework," said National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.
....The president argued in his speech that G20 developed and developing nations had shown an underlying determination to keep focused on global economic expansion despite disagreements on other issues.
"As the largest economy in the world, an engine for global growth, that’s particularly important for the United States," Obama said in a speech ahead of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) talks.
"That is why we passed an economic plan that has led to five consecutive quarters of economic growth and 10 consecutive months of private sector job growth.
"That’s why we passed and are implementing the toughest set of financial reforms since the Great Depression — something our G20 partners need to do with the same sense of urgency.
"And that’s why we’re cutting back on non-essentials in the face of serious fiscal challenges." Obama maintained that American human and financial resources had paved the way for the region’s emergence and dynamic economies.
.... Obama also played a moral card....
"In the last century, the United States of America contributed greatly to the security and prosperity of this region.
"The strength of our alliances and the bravery of our men and women in uniform helped keep the peace and the openness of our markets helped fuel the rise of the Asian Miracle."
http://www.dawn.com/...
Even incremental progress is still progress:
.... The [G20] meeting still showed the power of the United States to set the agenda for international discussion, even if the result — charging the International Monetary Fund with analyzing the sources and consequences of the imbalances — was far less robust than American officials had hoped for....
But in interviews here, officials from Europe and the United States said that [the alleged deliberate weakening of the U.S. dollar, charges made by China and Germany], specifically the decision by the Federal Reserve to inject $600 billion into the economy, was not a major topic of discussion in the leaders’ private meetings.
In those discussions, including at a dinner on Thursday and a lunch on Friday, there was considerable agreement on the need to address a fundamental trade, or accounts, imbalance: some economies are spending, buying and borrowing too much and others too little.
Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, said in an interview here that the G-20 joint statement on the need to curb those imbalances was significant given that some countries did not even support raising the issue just two years ago.
"This represents a quantum leap in terms of global economic governance," he said. "I think very frankly that the G20 has passed the test."
For his part, President Obama suggested that the attention on imbalances had overshadowed significant agreements on overhauling financial regulations and improving development assistance for poor countries.
"Naturally there’s an instinct to focus on the disagreements, because otherwise, these summits might not be very exciting — it’s just a bunch of world leaders sitting around intervening," he said at a news conference. "And so there’s a search for drama. But what’s remarkable is that in each of these successive summits we’ve actually made real progress."....
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Sewell Chan of The New York Times gives some insight into the psychology of the Chinese and German protestations, and makes a point about U.S. leadership at the summit:
".... frankly, for strategic reasons, it helps them to get some leverage in negotiations, by, you know, creating a little bit of noise and expressing some unhappiness with the American actions.
I heard from sources that, behind closed doors, the Fed's actions didn't come up all that much, but they made for good theater....
But, to the extent that the Americans succeeded, it was in their ability to still help shape the agenda for what the world's nations talk about. The Americans clearly put this issue of imbalances front and center, and they got the other countries to make at least a conceptual agreement, an agreement in principle, on reducing those imbalances, even though that many of the specifics were punted over to next year."
http://www.pbs.org/...
In addition, the President asserted that Japan ought to have a seat on the United Nations Security Council.
President Barack Obama said Saturday that Japan was a model of the kind of country that should be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
He also said at a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan that he had invited Kan to visit the United States in the first half of 2011 and that the U.S. commitment to Japan's defense was unshakeable.
Obama said Kan had told him about Japan's actions to prepare for eventual membership in the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) free trade initiative and that U.S. and Japanese negotiators would work together....
Washington wants Japan to join the U.S.-backed TPP, but Kan faces an outcry from some lawmakers in his ruling party worried about the anger of politically powerful farm groups who oppose it....
http://www.reuters.com/...
President Obama said he welcomes Japan's interest in the Pacific trade talks.
.... Speaking after meeting today with Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Yokohama, Japan, Obama said they discussed "the need to expand trade and open markets" in the region. Kan said the two leaders had "fruitful discussions" and expressed his appreciation for U.S. support in recent disputes with China and Russia.
"We are partners in Asia and around the world," Obama told reporters, adding that the countries are deepening their economic relationship. "I expressed my deep appreciation for the fact that japan is really a model citizen internationally and works in support of international rules and norms that can make all of us more prosperous," Obama said.
"I very much welcomed Japan’s interest in the Trans-Pacific Partnership," Obama said....
http://www.bloomberg.com/...
An aviation agreement between the U.S. and Japan takes effect Saturday; the President cited this "open skies" deal as a sign of deepening economic ties between the two countries.
U.S. President Barack Obama .... met with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Yokohama, Japan, and called the U.S.-Japan relationship "the foundation of our security and prosperity."
His remarks were the latest sign of improving relations between the two countries, which had been strained under the administration of Kan’s predecessor over the relocation of a U.S. Marine Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
U.S. President Barack Obama said that there was not a lot of discussion about Federal Reserve's $600 billion monetary stimulus at the leaders’ meetings and that most were concerned with U.S. economic growth as they depend on the country as a market for their exports.
Obama said, "We are deepening our economic relationship," and cited the "open skies" agreement which took effect Saturday between the two countries to liberalize their civil aviation markets.
The agreement will allow Japanese and U.S. air carriers to open routes between the two countries and determine the frequency of flights. Japanese and U.S. officials reached a basic agreement in December last year and agreed on the details of the deal last month....
http://www.marketwatch.com/...
The President and Japanese Prime Minister Kan held a joint press conference:
From newsupload2010:
U.S. President Barack Obama said Saturday the commitment of the United States to the defense of Japan is "unshakable" during talks in which the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of their nations' alliance.
In the talks, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit meeting in Yokohama, Obama and Kan largely avoided the U.S. base relocation issue that had strained ties.
After a one-hour discussion that Kan described as "fruitful," the prime minister thanked the United States "for constantly standing by Japan" during recent territorial disputes with Russia and China.
At a joint press conference after the talks, Obama said that "the partnership between Japan and the United States has been the foundation for our security and our prosperity, not only for our two countries, but also for the region."....
The leaders also agreed to draw up a joint security declaration by the time Kan visits [the U.S.] next year. An original plan to draw up the declaration this year--the 50th anniversary of the signing of the revised Japan-U.S. Security Treaty--was dropped last month.
The commitment of the United States to the defense of Japan is "unshakable," Obama said. "Our alliances, bases and forward presence help us ensure stability and address regional challenges across Northeast Asia."
Kan said, "I, as well as many Japanese citizens and people in our neighboring countries, recognize the importance of the presence of the United States and the U.S. military in promoting peace and security in the region."
During the talks, Obama expressed support for Japan's bid to gain a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council....
Obama said: "I reiterated our long-standing belief that Japan stands as a model of the kind of country we would want to see as a permanent member of the Security Council, and I look forward to a reformed Security Council that includes Japan as a permanent member." ....
Before the talks, Kan gave Obama a copy of a letter President Abraham Lincoln sent to Tokugawa Iemochi, the 14th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, on Nov. 14, 1861. Obama presented Kan with a copy of the first patent taken out in the United States by a Japanese--who was from Yokohama--and a plate bearing the U.S. and Japanese flags.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/...
The President heads overseas again next week for summit meetings with NATO, the EU and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
U.S. President Barack Obama will have a packed agenda when he goes to Lisbon for two days of summit meetings (Fri. 11/19 and Sat. 11/20) with NATO, the European Union and Russia. The leaders will address the progress of NATO's war effort in Afghanistan, its evolving relationship with Russia and the alliance's overall future....
It is not likely that Russia will send troops to Afghanistan, where the Soviet Union fought a costly nine-year war in the 1980's. But Michael O'Hanlon [senior fellow and director of research at Washington's Brookings Institution] says Moscow is already helping NATO in many ways, such as allowing many supplies to move through Russia and its Central Asian allies.
"This is a huge benefit, given that we have 140-some-thousand ISAF forces now in Afghanistan, and also that we have complicated relations with Pakistan and do not want to depend entirely on them for logistics," he said....
Russia has opposed past NATO missile defense plans, which would have been deployed in nearby Poland and the Czech Republic. But the Obama administration has reconfigured its missile defense proposal to focus on the nuclear threat from Iran.
James Goldgeier says Mr. Obama is hoping for a commitment from his Russian counterpart to work with NATO on the issue. "That would be a huge victory for President Obama, not just for his overall policy, and not just for the NATO policy, but as a signal to Iran that Russia takes this threat seriously as well and wants to be part of missile defense," he said....
Before President Obama returns to Washington, he will meet with European Union leaders. They are expected to discuss economic issues, such as U.S.-European cooperation on currencies and exchange rates, as well as trade and development, security and other foreign policy issues.
http://www.voanews.com/...
From the White House Press Secretary:
The President’s Weekly Address: Exports & Earmarks
In this week’s address, President Obama called for Congress to address the issue of earmarks -- items inserted into spending bills without adequate review. The President has time and again called for new limitations on earmarks, and the Obama Administration has put in place higher standards of transparency, including www.earmarks.gov. This week, the Administration updated www.earmarks.gov with more information about where last year’s earmarks were actually spent, and made it easier to look up members of Congress and the earmarks they fought for. In these challenging times, working across the aisle to address this issue will signal the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, shine a light on a Washington habit that wastes billions of taxpayer dollars, and take a step towards restoring public trust.
.... The video can also be viewed online at www.whitehouse.gov.
THE PRESIDENT:
This weekend, I’m concluding a trip to Asia whose purpose was to open new markets for American products in this fast-growing part of the world. The economic battle for these markets is fierce, and we’re up against strong competitors. But as I’ve said many times, America doesn’t play for second place. The future we’re fighting for isn’t as the world’s largest importer, consuming products made elsewhere, but as the world’s largest manufacturer of ideas and goods sold around the world.
Opening new markets will not only help America’s businesses create new jobs for American workers. It will also help us reduce our deficits – because the single greatest tool for getting our fiscal house in order is robust economic growth. That kind of growth will require ensuring that our students are getting the best education possible; that we’re on the cutting edge of research and development; and that we’re rebuilding our roads and railways, runways and ports – so our infrastructure is up to the challenges of the 21st century.
Given the deficits that have mounted up over the past decade, we can’t afford to make these investments unless we’re also willing to cut what we don’t need. That’s why I’ve submitted to Congress a plan for a three-year budget freeze, and I’m prepared to offer additional savings. But as we work to reform our budget, Congress should also put some skin in the game. I agree with those Republican and Democratic members of Congress who’ve recently said that in these challenging days, we can’t afford what are called earmarks. These are items inserted into spending bills by members of Congress without adequate review.
Now, some of these earmarks support worthy projects in our local communities. But many others do not. We can’t afford Bridges to Nowhere like the one that was planned a few years back in Alaska. Earmarks like these represent a relatively small part of overall federal spending. But when it comes to signaling our commitment to fiscal responsibility, addressing them would have an important impact.
As a Senator, I helped eliminate anonymous earmarks and created new measures of transparency so Americans can better follow how their tax dollars are being spent. As President, time and again, I’ve called for new limitations on earmarks. We’ve reduced the cost of earmarks by over $3 billion. And we’ve put in place higher standards of transparency by putting as much information as possible on earmarks.gov. In fact, this week, we updated the site with more information about where last year’s earmarks were actually spent, and made it easier to look up Members of Congress and the earmarks they fought for.
Today, we have a chance to go further. We have a chance to not only shine a light on a bad Washington habit that wastes billions of taxpayer dollars, but take a step towards restoring public trust. We have a chance to advance the interests not of Republicans or Democrats, but of the American people; to put our country on the path of fiscal discipline and responsibility that will lead to a brighter economic future for all. And that’s a future I hope we can reach across party lines to build together.
Thanks everybody, and have a great weekend.
http://bit.ly/...
Update [2010-11-13 17:11:46 by Kat 4 Obama]: Now includes clip from the joint press conference held by the President and Japanese Prime Minister Kan.